Heating apparatus



8. DE W. CHAPMAN.

HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, I914.

1,405,2 1, 4 v Patented-Jan. 31, 192

4 SHEETS-SHEET '1.

.IE'IEIZ StilonoowDeT Vfit 'lza iflaiz. I

Maw

S. DE W. CHAPMAN.

HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 16, 1914.

1,405,2 1, Patented Jan. 31,1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TIL-DZ 14 1 77? 65585. .Ziauemiaz:

A filo/May 8. DE W. CHAPMAN.

HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLLCATION mm SEPT. 16, 19M.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922. z g 4 SHEETSSHEET 3..

- lzwewzor. E2183 fialomozw fl afimam WW. 1 W M S. DEW. CHAPMAN,

HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1914.

1,405,281 Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

1|, 4 SHEETs-SHEET 4- gfis m 1 ZZZ E1 F wmw W car/say are soLoMoiv DEwIrr'r' oHArMAm'oFcAN'ron, 01-110. v

HEATING ArrARA'rUs.

I '0 all whom it mm concern:

Be it known that SOLOMON DEWITT CHAP- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Apparatus,of which the following isa specification. v

The invention relates to heating apparatus including a water heater andone or more. steam or vapor condensing radlators; and the object of theimprovement is to combine in such apparatus suitablereturn valves forthe radiators, and a return trap. for the heater, having suchcharacteristics that the apparatus may be operated at either greater orless than atmospheric pressure, respectively with live steam or vaporwithin the system; and so that in either case there will be such acirculation as will constantly eliminate the water and air at anytemperature'fromthe radiators and the piping system, and will return thewater of condensation to the heater without the use of a piston pump,or-

other external operating power or means.

In other words, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide aself-contained and automatically controlled heating apparatus which maybe operated either at less than air pressure with vapor, or at greaterthan air pressure with live steam, de-v pending upon the amount of fuelapplied to the heater; and in either case the water of condensation atall temperatures willbe automatically drained from the radiators andthepiping system and returned to the water heater by a steam-actuatedcondensert'rap, and at the same time all air will be drained andexhausted therefrom.

The objects of the invention are attained by the construction, mechanismand arrange ment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure ljis an elevation-oil the complete apparatus, showing, however,but one radiator of the system; v

Fig. 2,'an elevation section of one of the radiator return valves;

Fig. 3, a side elevation section of the condenser-trap, showing thequick-acting floatvalve therein in normal closed or exhausting position;f

Fig. 4-, a longitudinal section of the floatvalve in neutral position;

Fig. 5, a transverse section of the condenser-trap, showing thefl0at-valve therein, as in Fig. 3;

Specification of Letters Patent.

of the actuating valve.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The apparatus includes the. water heater 1, which may be supplied withgas through the pipe 2'and-the burners 3; one or morecoils. or radiators1, which receive steam or vapor from the heater through the pipe 5 andthe inlet valve 6; the condenser trap 7, which receives'water and airfrom each radiator through the radiator return valve 8,, the drain pipe9 and the check-valve 10.

The condenser-trap also communicates with the loweror water compartmentof the heater 1 through the check valve llfand the feed pipe 12; and isprovided with the quick-= acting float-valve 13 which receives steamfrom the heater through the pipe 1 1, and

may exhaust through the pipe 15 provided with the check valve 16 intothe smoke pipe 17 of the heater. g

Each'radiator return valve 8 may beof the type shown in my Patent No.1,006,629, and ispr ov ided with the valve chamberlS having the valveseat 19 in its lower end which may be formed by the upper end of theadjustable outlet tube 20 leading down; ward into the drain pipe9. Thefloat 21 is located in the return-valve chamber 18, and is secured onthe arm or lever 22 having its end pivoted to the wall of the returnvalve8, as p the valve is cold, the lloat 21 will rest upon the stop 26,and the valve stem 24 will be contracted so as to slightly open theoutlet tubev 20 leading from the bottom of the valve chamber; and thatwhen the valve is heated, the expansion ofthe stem 24 will close thevalve upon its seat at any given temperature to which the parts may beadjusted.

When the valve is thus heated and closed, it is evident thatan'accumulation of water Patented Jan. 31,1922. Application filedSeptember 16, 1914. SerialNo. 862,011.; 2 I

Fig. 6, a fragmentary side view of the 1 trap-valve gearing; and, F 1g.7, a fragmentary sectlon of one end of condensation in the chamber willlift the float with the valve stem and thereby open the valve so as topermit a discharge or drainage of the water from the valve chamber; andthe capillary passages 27 and 27 are provided in the valve stem and theconi cal valve which permit the passage of dry air or vapor into thedrain pipe from the upper end of the valve chamber at all times, butwill be sealed by water of condensation to prevent the similar dischargeof steam.

And finally, when the valve is cooled after being heated, as by closingthe inlet valve to the radiator or, by a cooling of the heater, it isevident that water of condensation will intermittently drain through theoutlet of the valve chamber by the recurring elevation of the valve stemby the float as the water accumulates in the chamber; which method ofdrainage continues until the cooling of the water so contracts thelength of the valve stem as to open the valve when the float is seatedupon its rest, after which the water of condensation will drain freelythrough the outlet without an elevation of the float.

The return valve may, therefore, be described in terms of its functions,as means for checking the escape of steam from the outlet of theradiator, and for permitting a substantially continuous drainage ofwater and air therefrom under all temperatures and conditions of use.

The actuating valve 13 for the condensertrap is of a quick-acting type,and is operated by a compound float mechanism. The valve case ispreferably formed as an inverted T, with the upright tubular stem 28secured in and through the top wall of the trap as by means of the screwbushing 29; and the transverse tubular bearing head 30, in which islocated the tubular valve 31 which is adapted. to operate by vrotatingin the bearing head of the case.

The upper end of the tubular stem of the valve case is closed by thewall 82, and the cross wall 33 divides the stem into the two independentlateral passages 3t'and 35; the former of which constitutes the steaminlet passage, and the latter of which constitutes the exhaust outletpassage for the valve.

The steam pipe 1 L leading from the heater communicates with the upperend of the steam inlet passage 34:, and the lower end of said passagecommunicates with the steam inlet port 36 formed in the tubular wall ofthe head of the case, which port'36 is arranged to register with thecorresponding port 37 provided in the tubular valve when the same isrotated into open position for admitting steam into the condenserthrough the open ends of the tubular valve.

The exhaust passage 35 in the tubular stem 14 of the case likewisecommunicates with h ha Part 38 pro ide i h tubular wall of the crossheadof the valve case, and is arranged to register with the correspondingport 39 provided in the tubular wall 31 of the valve when the same isrotated into closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, for exhausting steamfrom the condenser through the open ends of the tubular valve.

And the upper end of the exhaust passage 35' communicates with theexhaust pipe 15 in which is provided the check valve 16 for preventingthe suction or return of air into the condenser chamber through theexhaust pipe, which pipe may be arranged to deliver the exhaust into thesmoke pipe 17 of the heater, as shown.

The open ends of the tubular valve 31 preferably extend beyond the endsof the tubular head 30 of the case. These ends are also partially closedby the caps 40 formed on or secured to the pendent brackets 11 whichcarry the pendent plates 42, in which plates are provided bearings forthe pivots 13 and Hot the arms 15 and 46 which carry the main float 47and the trip float 48, respectively.

The caps 10 are preferably provided with upright tubular extensions d9which communicate with the interior of the tubular valve through theaxial passages 50 formed in the body of each cap,and have their .upperopen ends located in the upper portion of the trap, so that steam willbe discharged into and exhaust received from the trap chamber above thelevel of the water therein, thus preventing the discharge of any Waterwith the exhaust from the trap, or a condensation of the steam bypassing through the water.

Thecaps d0 are keyed on the ends of the valve as by means of the lugs 51engaging in the notches 52 provided in the ends of the valve, so thatthe valve will be rotated for its operation by an oscillation of thependent bracket 41; for which purpose the gear segment 53 is provided onthe lower side of the tubular head 30 of the valve case, and thecorresponding gear segment 54: is provided on the upper end above thepivot 43 of the arm 45 which carries the main float 17 and it is evidentthat an oscillation of this float to and fro upon its pendent pivotalbearing in the ears 4-2 of the brackets ll, and the intermeshing of thegear segments, will serve to rotate the valve from open to closedposition, and vice versa.

The inner end of the arm 16 which carries the trip float 48 isjo'urnalled on the pivot 1 1- by means of the clevis 55, and thecontiguous parts of the ears l2 and the arm 16 are spaced at a slightinterval so as to give a certain amount of looseness or play in thejoint, which is limited by the stops formed by said contiguous parts;and the trip float 4-8 is similarly connected to the pivot 56 on the endof the arm 46 by means is provided at the outlet of the otherwise closeddrain pipes 9,

leading into the upper part of thecondenser-trap, which permits waterand air to flow freely by gravityinto the trap, but checks a reverseflow of steam or air toward the radiatd'is; and the check valve ll'isprovided in the feed pipe 12 leading from the bottom of the trap chamberdownward into the heater, which permits a free flow of water from thetrap to the heater and stops a return flow of water or steam from theheater to the trap; I 7

When the-heating apparatus-is operated under steam pressure, and theactuating valve in the condenser-trap is in closed position, that is tosay, withits steamports closed and its exhaust ports open, it is evidentthat the water of condensation and air will drain freely downward bygravity from the radiators through the return valve 8 and the drainpipes 9 and the check valve 10 into the upper portion of the trapchamber; such drainage being permitted by the fact that the check valvell in the feed pipe prevents the pressure from the heaterfrom passinginto the trap chamber.

,When the water of condensation and air enter the trap chamber, thewater flows downward into the bottom thereof and fillsY the chamber to agradually increasing depth,

' while the air may escapethroughthe-open exhaust ports of the actuatingvalve by, entering the same through the upper ends of the tubularextensions 49, and thence escapshown in Fig. 3, with the trip floathanging downward in its lowest position, and the main float oscillatedto the end of its movement in the direction opposite from the tripfloat. I a

As the surface of the water of condensation rises in. the trap chamberthe buoyancy of the trip float causes it to swing inward toward the mainfloat,lw1thout raising its carrying arm 46, until further inwardmovement with reference to the arm is stoppedby the abutment of thecontiguousparts of the joint; whereupon a further elevation of the tripfloat caused by the rising water, lifts the outer end of its carryingarm by rotating it upon its pivot 44, I but without swinging thebrackets and plates depending from the valve until such free relativemovement of the trip float and its arm are stop'ped by the abutment ofthe contiguous parts of a the joint; during which preliminary elevationand the steam ports openedby an oscillation of the main float; afterwhich afurther ris- 111g of the trip float by its gearing connectlonwith the main float'serves to swing the same inward until it approachesa position di-" rectly under the axis of the=valve; by which time thetrip float has so risen that its center passes outward beyond a positiondirectly beneath its pivotal support, whereuponits buoyancy carries itquickly outward until.

such movement issuddenly stopped-by the" abutment of its contiguousjointparts, the jar of which carries the main float quicklybeyond its neutralposition directly below the axis of the valve; after which the-buoy ancyof the main float,-which is by this time completely submerged in thewater of condensation, acting with instead ofagainst the buoyancy of thetrip float, causes both floats By this construction and arrangement {ofto swing immediately full wayinto open '90- sition, so that the valveports are quickly opened to the full extent; during which action thetrip float may be thrown-upward; entirely above the water, i v

lVhen the actuating'valve is thus opened, steam under pressure in thewater heater rushes quickly through the steam pipe 14 into the trapchamber above the water therein and by equalizingthe pressure thereinwith respect .to the pressure inthe heater," permits the water ofcondensation to return by gnvity downward through the: checkvalve 11and" the feed pipe 12 into the heater; the check valve 10 preventingthis pressure from reaching the radiators? through the drain pipe 9, andthe closingot the exhaust ports in the actuating valve pre ventingany-escape of the steam or pressure through the exhaust pipe 15. V

' The reverse operation of the actuating valve 13 is accomplished in asimilar manner by the sinking of the surface of the water in thecondensation trap as the same flows by gravity back into the heater. Inthis operation, the main float is held by itsbuoyancy in fullopenposition atthe end of its oscillation towardthe trip floatuntil theswing downwardly and laterally towardfla position directly under theaxis ofthe valve during which time the trip float and its car 7 surfaceof the water descends far enough inthe trap chamber to permit themainfloatto rying arm ,isheld upward above the water during the time thegreater portion of the same is flowing out of the trap chamber, andduring the same time the steam valves remain open so as to continue theequalization of pressures in the trap and the heater.

When, however, the main float approaches the position directly under theaxis of the valve, the weight of the trip float and its carrying armserves to swing the main float quickly past its neutral position, whichis also the neutral position of the valve between an opening of itssteam and exhaust ports, whence the buoyancy of the main float quicklycarries it laterally to completely close the steam ports and open theexhaust ports; whereupon a portion of the steam in they trap chamberexhausts through the pipe until the pressure within the trap is equalthat of the atmosphere, while the remaining portion thereof condenses inthe trap chamber and forms a partial vacuum therein, which is maintainedby the presence of the check valve in the exhaust pipe; and this partialvacuum, by extending through the drain'pipes, reaches the outlets of thereturn valves, so that none of the radiators is ever subject to a backpressure, either from the condenser trap or from another radiator.

By these means it is evident that the heating apparatus willautomatically operate under steam pressure, and that there will be anopportunity for drainage of air and water of' condensation from eachradiator to the condenser trap, an opportunity for an escape of air fromthe condenser trap, and a feeding of the water of condensation back intothe heater, without at any time afl'ecting by back pressure or otherwisethe proper operation of any one of the radiators or of the return valvesassociated therewith.

- \Vhen it is desired to operate the apparatus with a partial vacuum orless than air pressure throughout the system, the same can be done bymerely reducing the heat of the water to less than the steam producingtemperature at atmospheric pressure, and it is evident that the constantcondensation of aqueous vapor which rises into and fills theradiators-the air and water of condensation being drained therefrom, asabove described-serves to create a partial vacuum in the radiators andthrough the supply pipes 5, which partial vacuum extends into the heaterabove the water. 7

After the apparatus has been operated under steam pressure, the partialvacuum which has been created in the trap chamber and throughout thedrain pipes by'the operation of said chamber as a condenser, may and nodoubt does extend through the return valve either through the capillarypassage 27 in the thermostatic stem thereof, when this passage is notsealed by water of condensation; or at any event, through the outlettube 20-when the-same is intermittentlyopened by the-actionof the valvefloat for the drainage of water-from the valve chamber,which gives anopportunity for equalizing the pressure throughout the system.

Atany event, the aqueous vapor which rises from the water in the heaterat. less than steam producing temperature at atmospheric pressure, flowsupward through the supply. pipes 5 and inlet valves 6 into the severalradiators, and the water of condensation therefrom flows downward bygravity through the return valve 8 and the drain pipes 9 into thechamber of the condenser-trap; whence the water flows on downwardthrough the feed pipe 12 into the heater to seek-its level therein;which it is free to do by gravity because of the absence of pressureupon the water in the heater.

Under these circumstances, it is obvious that none of the water ofcondensation will remain in the trap chamber, it being assumed, asshown, that the same is located above the level of the water in theheater, but that the water will merely flow through the trap chamberwithout stopping therein as it flows by gravity from the radiators backinto the heater; from which it is evident that the heating apparatus,having combinedtherein the elements as herein described, may be operatedwith temperatures in the heater whichwill produce steam and thecorresponding pressure throughout the heater and the radiators, or'atsuch reduced temperatures as will produce vacuum vapor at less than airpressure throughout theheater and the radiators; and that in eitherevent there will be a substantially continuous and automatic circulationand return by gravity of the water of condensation from the radiatorsthrough the drain pipes,

the condenser-trap and the feedpipe to the heater, with an accompanyingelimination of air from the system through'the exhaust ports of the trapactuating valve whenever the pressure in the trap chamber is equal to orgreater than atmospheric pressure; a reverse suction of air into thesystem through the same ports, when there is a partial vacuum in thetrap chamber, being prevented by the check valve 16 in the exhaust pipe15.

It is also evidentthat whether the apparatus isoperated with a pressureor a partial vacuum within the heater and the radiators,

such pressure will never be present in the drain pipes, and that none ofthe radiators will ever receive back pressure from the heater, the trapchamber, or another radiator, to interfere withits proper and efficientoperation. v

I claim:

1'. Heatingapparatus including a water heater, one or more radiatorshaving inlets communicating With the heater and outlets permittingdrainage of water and air and checking the flow of steam or vapor therefrom, a condenser trap, checked drainage pipes leading from said outletsto the trap and from the trap to the heater, a checked air exhaust pipe,and means for alternately supplying steam to the trap and dischargingair therefrom.

2. Heating apparatus including a Water heater, one or more radiatorshaving inlets communicating With the heater and Outlets permitting thedrainage of Water and air and checking the flow of steam or vaportherefrom, a condenser trap having checked drainage communication withthe outlets, a steam pipe from the heater to the trap, a

checked exhaust pipe from the top of the,

trap to the atmosphere, a checked drainage pipe leading from the trap tothe heater, and valve means alternately opening the steam pipe andclosing the exhaust pipe for draining Water from thetrap to the heater,and closing the steam pipe and opening the exhaust pipe for dischargingair from the' trap. v

3. A heating apparatus including a Water heater, one or more radiatorshaving inlets communicating With the heater and outlet means forchecking the flow of steam and permitting the drainage of Water and airtherefrom, and a drainage system including a condenser trap having inletand outlet check valves, drain pipes leading from the radiator outletscommunicating With the condenser only through the trap inlet checkvalve, anexhaust pipe having a check valve leading from the top of thetrap, a feed pipe leading from the outletof the trap to the heater tothe trap, and means actuated 40 the heater, a valved steam pipe leadingfrom f by the rising of Water in'the trap for in- V

